Key container



Jan. 3, 1950 C. J. ZIMMERMAN KEY CONTAINER Filed March 19, 1946 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS CLARENCE J ZIMMERMAN Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFHIE KEY CONTAINER Clarence J. Zimmerman, Watsonville, Calif. Application March 19, 1946, Serial No. 655,569

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in a key container, and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a key container, which is adapted to holding a plurality of keys in such a manner as to allow the key shanks to be independently projected therefrom. More specifically described, I propose to provide a body member having teeth thereon, the keys being swingably mounted in the spaces between these teeth. The key heads extend clear of the body member and may be manipulated for projecting the key shanks. When the key shanks are disposed in the spaces between the teeth, the shanks are frictionally secured in place by the teeth and are enclosed in the body member.

Another object of my invention resides in the provision of a key container that is constructed in such a manner as to facilitate the securing of a plurality of keys thereto or removal therefrom.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues, and the novel features of the invention particularly will be set forth in the appended claim.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my key container, disclosing one of the keys projecting therefrom;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view; and

Figure 4 shows one of the steps employed in assembling the keys on the container.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a body member A having a plurality of teeth I extending to one end of the body. Each tooth is fashioned with a recess 2 in the end thereof, and all of these recesses are disposed in alignment with each other. A substantially U-shaped spring clamp B has its legs 3 bearing against opposing sides 4 of the body member A when the clamp is assembled, as illustrated in Figure l. The cross-bar 5 of the clamp is removably disposed in the aligned recesses 2. The inturned ends 6 of the clamp are received in sockets 1, the latter being fashioned in the sides 4 of the body member.

2 It will be noted that a plurality of keys C are swingably secured to the cross-bar 5, and the shanks 8 of these keys are movable into the spaces 9 provided between adjacent teeth. The outermost spaces 9a may be made slightly wider than the remaining spaces in order to accommodate key shanks 8a of greater thickness than the remaining key shanks. The spaces 9 and 9a are dimensioned to frictionally receive the key shanks 8 and 8a, respectively. The thickness of the body member A is sufiicient to enclose the key shanks when the latter are disposed in the spaces 9 or 90., as will be evident from the dotted key shank in Figure 2.

In Figures 2 and 3, I have shown the body member A as being thin enough to allow the key heads [0 to project from opposing faces ll of the member A. Therefore, the key heads may be manipulated to project the key shanks from either of the opposing faces II. It should be made clear that the keys may be extended independently of one another by simply rotating the proper key head about the cross-bar 5 of the spring clamp. The teeth i frictionally hold the keys in position until the key shanks are projected. Inasmuch as the keys may be extended from either of the opposing faces ll, there is no need to hold a particular face I l uppermost.

The manner of assembling the keys relative to the body member A now will be described. In Figure 4, I have illustrated a plurality of keys arranged on the cross-bar 5 of the spring clamp B. The heads In of these keys are pressed into their proper spaces 9 or 9a, with the legs 3 of the clamp extending away from the body member A. Thus, the keys are held in this temporary position by the key heads frictionally engaging with the spaces 9 or 9a. The teeth I are slightly rounded at la, to facilitate insertion of the keys. Next, the cross-bar 5 is forced down into the aligned recesses 2, as suggested by the arrow [2. Finally, the legs 3 of the spring clamp B are swung over and their inturned ends 6 are engaged in the sockets l. The keys may be rotated until their shanks are enclosed in the spaces between the teeth.

When it is desired to remove all of the keys, the inturned ends 6 merely are disengaged from the sockets l and the cross-bar 5 is slipped out of the aligned recesses 2 and will carry the keys therewith.

Having thus described the various parts of my key container, the operation thereof may be readily understood Normally, all of the key shanks 8 and 8a are enclosed by the body member A.

3 When a particular key is desired, its exposed head I is rotated so that the proper key shank will extend from the body member, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This key may be swung in either direction relative to the cross-bar 5 and the projected key is ready for use. The body member A may be made of any suitable material, for instance plastic. Of course, any color for the member A may be used Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A key container comprising a U-shaped body having a base portion and spaced parallel arms integrally formed thereon, a plurality of teeth between said arms, said teeth being formed integral with the said body and extending from one side of the base portion and spaced from each other and from said arms, the free ends of said arms and teeth being provided with aligned recesses, a substantially U-shaped spring clamp removably secured to the body and having its bight portion extended across the arms and teeth in said recesses and adapted to pivotally receive a plurality of keys, each key being re- 4 ceivable in the individual space provided between adjacent extending teeth and arms, the teeth spacing adjacent keys apart at all times when the clamp is assembled on the body member, the width of said teeth being limited to substantially the width of a key shank to permit both edges of the shank to be easily viewed and the length of said teeth being greater than the length of the key shanks so that the entire lengths of the key shanks will be received in the spaces and the keys are free to be swung about the bight portion throughout a complete circle.

CLARENCE J. ZIMMERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,658,431 Dodson Feb. 7, 1928 1,669,945 Michailovsky May 15, 1928 1,795,291 Dunn Mar. 10, 1931 2,198,110 Fischer Apr. 23, 1940 

